Improvements in or relating to graphite processing

Abstract

A method for processing graphite in a flow reactor including (i) providing a flow reactor with (a) a vessel for receiving a reaction mixture comprising natural graphite and water; (b) an activator for imparting rotational motion to the reaction mixture; and (c) at least one input channel for introducing the reaction mixture into the vessel, wherein the activator is rotatably mounted on a hollow tube which provides the input channel; (ii) introducing the reaction mixture into the vessel; (iii) operating the activator to process the reaction mixture; obtaining the processed reaction mixture from the vessel; and optionally repeating steps (ii) to (iv) with the processed reaction mixture one or more times

1 . A method for processing graphite in a flow reactor which method comprises the steps of:
 (i) providing a flow reactor which comprises (a) a vessel for receiving a reaction mixture comprising natural graphite and water; (b) an activator for imparting rotational motion to the reaction mixture; and (c) at least one input channel for introducing the reaction mixture into the vessel, wherein the activator is rotatably mounted on a hollow tube which provides the input channel;   (ii) introducing the reaction mixture into the vessel;   (iii) operating the activator to process the reaction mixture;   (iv) obtaining the processed reaction mixture from the vessel; and optionally repeating steps (ii) to (iv) with the processed reaction mixture one or more times.   
     
     
         2 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the activator comprises one or more arms or paddles. 
     
     
         3 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the activator imparts centrifugal motion to the reaction mixture. 
     
     
         4 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the rotational rate of the activator is from 1000 rpm to 5000 rpm. 
     
     
         5 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the flow reactor comprises at least two activators in the vessel. 
     
     
         6 . A method as defined in  claim 5  wherein the two activators are co-axial. 
     
     
         7 . A method as defined in  claim 5  wherein the two activators are counter-rotating activators. 
     
     
         8 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the flow reactor comprises a resonator to aid the formation of the one or more acoustic waves. 
     
     
         9 . A method as defined in  claim 8  wherein the resonator is connected to the vessel of the flow reactor by an adaptor. 
     
     
         10 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the vessel of the flow reactor has a circular cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         11 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the vessel has circular-shaped sides and the activator is arranged to rotate in a plane which is substantially parallel to the circular-shaped sides. 
     
     
         12 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein step (iii) comprises the use of one or more acoustic waves to improve processing efficiency. 
     
     
         13 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the reaction mixture comprises natural graphite and water in a weight ratio of from 1:40 to 1:300 
     
     
         14 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the reaction mixture consists of natural graphite and water. 
     
     
         15 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the natural graphite is mined graphite; preferably the natural graphite is unprocessed graphite 
     
     
         16 . A flow reactor for use in purifying graphite wherein the flow reactor comprises:
 (a) a vessel for receiving a reaction mixture comprising natural graphite and water;   (b) an activator for imparting rotational motion to the reaction mixture; and   (c) at least one input channel for introducing the reaction mixture into the vessel;   wherein the activator is rotatably mounted on a hollow tube which provides the at least one input channel.   
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A conductive composition which comprises graphite having a carbon content of at least 97.5%; wherein the composition has a conductivity of greater than 60,000 S/m; and wherein the graphite is substantially free from an additional impurity. 
     
     
         19 . A conductive composition as defined in  claim 18  wherein the graphite has a carbon content of from 97.5 to 99.4 wt %. 
     
     
         20 . A conductive composition as defined in  claim 18  which comprises a mixture of graphite and graphene. 
     
     
         21 . A conductive composition as defined in  claim 18  wherein the additional impurity is an impurity which is introduced into the conductive composition or the natural graphite during processing.